Publication Date April 30, 2024

Summary

Commissaire Dupin is in Saint-Malo for a seminar. He’s not at all excited about the conference, but is very excited about the food in that part of Brittany. He is out exploring the local market when he hears a murder taking place. Suddenly this working vacation becomes more interesting to him.

My Thoughts

This is the 9th in the Commissaire Dupin series, but the first I have read.

The mystery was exceptionally intriguing. The perpetrator’s identity is known from the beginning. She is a well-known chef and the victim is her sister, but what isn’t known is her motive, and she isn’t talking. Then there is another clearly related murder for which she can’t be responsible. I found the mystery to be very well-crafted.

If you appreciate good food, you will be pleased with this story because Dupin enjoys his meals. The cheese stand at the start of the story was swoon-worthy, and all the meals are described in great detail. The setting of Brittany is also given a great deal of attention, making it easy to visualize.

As much as I appreciated the mystery, at times I did feel that it dragged a bit. I didn’t really need quite as many detailed strolls or every detail of his nightly trips for rum. I didn’t need to hear all about his assistant’s problems with a badger or about the history of the corsairs, so I did skim a great deal. I suppose for people familiar with the series, his frequent check-ins with his team back home or missed calls with his girlfriend will hold more meaning than they did for me. I found them distracting.

I will definitely look into others in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review a free eARC of this book.

My Rating 4/5